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by sanctuary_for_all



Series: The Spider and the Hawk [2]
Category: Captain America (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M, Feels, Humor, Missing Scene, Natasha Romanov's Arrow Necklace
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-02
Updated: 2015-02-02
Packaged: 2018-03-10 03:29:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 941
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3275042
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sanctuary_for_all/pseuds/sanctuary_for_all
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>How Natasha's arrow necklace came to be.</p>
            </blockquote>





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Even for someone with Natasha's excellent night vision, navigating Clint Barton's bedroom floor could be a challenge.

Looking at the chaos of his apartment, you'd have no idea that the man was one of the most precise, methodical marksmen she'd ever worked with. Mostly, it was oddly comforting, a dramatic counterpoint to the rigid, barren dance academy that existed nowhere outside of the wasteland of her memories.

The chaos, on the other hand, felt like Clint, all-encompassing and warm enough that she wanted to wrap up in it like a blanket. As if she could soak Clint deeply enough into her bones that he would always be with her, even in the middle of the worst hells she'd walked into.

Unless, of course, she was trying to sneak out of bed at three in the morning to get a glass of water. Then her thoughts were much less romantic.

She swore when the bottom of her foot made contact with something sharp in the dark, a complicated Russian invective cursing Clint's intelligence and ancestry. She yanked his pants up off the floor, reaching into the pocket to pull out an experimental freezing arrowhead she knew for a fact he wasn't supposed to have stolen from the SHIELD labs.

Natasha sighed exasperatedly even as the corners of her lips curved upward. She set the arrowhead down on the edge of the dresser, then moved to fold the pants into something resembling order. Before she could, however, she was distracted by the quiet sound of something sliding out of the other pocket and hitting the ground.

She picked it up, surprised to find it was a metal charm strung on a cord. The metal was cheap, and she could feel there was a cutout in the middle even though she couldn't see the details properly. Dropping the pants, she walked over to the nearest window and held it up to the faint moonlight.

It was a spider.

"Well, shit."

Natasha turned toward the sound of Clint's voice. He was sitting up in bed, his hair sticking up everywhere, and a familiar rush of affection made her chest catch.

The depth of resigned regret that had been in that single word, however, was a little worrying. "Well, that was eloquent," she said lightly, thumb rubbing over the outline of the spider. "Tell me how you really feel."

He huffed out a laugh, the sound more than a little self-mocking as he scrubbed a hand through his hair. "You weren't supposed to see that."

"So I'd gathered." She watched him in the darkness, wishing there was enough light to properly read his eyes. Her voice gentled."Is it a gift?"

It was nothing like her personal taste. But if it was from Clint, she would wear nearly anything.

He stared at her for a long moment, clearly trying to decide something, then let out a breath. "No."

She raised an eyebrow, curious now. "I hate to break it to you, Barton, but it doesn't exactly match your wardrobe."

His lips quirked upward, still a little self-mocking. "One of the many reasons I wear it where no one else can see it."

Natasha's hand tightened around the pendant, pressing tightly enough against the spider shape that she knew the mark of it would be on her skin. He wore something with her mark on it, secret and close. "When?" she asked softly, the word a breath.

Clint stood up and moved towards her, taking the hand holding the necklace in his. "They'd just yanked me from going with you to Cuba at the last minute for that damn security gig. I was looking for an excuse to punch someone's face in, but there was this crappy little pawn shop next to the second bar I wandered into." He looked faintly embarrassed. "Stupid, I know. But it helps."

Natasha's throat tightened, and it took a minute before she could entirely trust her voice. No one but Clint ever threatened her control this easily. "You wear it when I'm out on missions?"

"Or when I'm out there without you. I couldn't risk wearing it more often than that without you noticing." He nudged her fingers open as he stepped closer, adjusting their grips so the pendant was pressed between their palms. His lips quirked again. "Feel free to mock me for it."

Denial rose up inside her, swift and hot. "Not about this."

His expression softened. "Has anyone ever told you that you're a lot nicer than you pretend to be?"

There was a pressure in her chest, like her heart was about to burst out of her. "You, multiple times. I still think you're insane." Her voice was thick with too much feeling as she slid her hand free of his, taking the pendant with her. Then she lifted her hands, and Clint stayed absolutely still as she fastened the necklace around his neck. "I want one."

His brow furrowed. "A spider necklace?"

She laid her hands against his chest, feeling his heart beat underneath her hand. "An arrow necklace. One I never have to take off."

The stunned joy on his face could have ignited a star. "You're serious."

"Absolutely." Her eyes stung as she looked up at the man who had forced her realize she had a heart by stealing it out of her chest. "I'm just annoyed I didn't think of it first."

Clint's own eyes were wet as he cradled his face in her hands. "Sure you trust my taste?"

"I trust you with everything else, don't I?" She smiled as she stretched upward for a kiss. "Besides, I know where you live."

**Author's Note:**

> Come check out my weekly posts and original short fiction on my [blog](http://jennifferwardell.blogspot.com) or say hi to me on [Tumblr](http://sanctuaryforalluniverses.tumblr.com)!


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